Deities
History Before the deities that now live there arrived, the Aboleth ruled the Astral Plane, living there with creatures such as celestials, elementals, demons, and devils. The Aboleth created the Material Plane, though in so doing they accidentally created the Abyss, as well. Then the deities showed up, powerful refugees from a doomed dimension that no longer exists. The Aboleth welcomed them, but Corellon found them distasteful and resented their presence. Convincing his closest allies Moradin and Bahamut to join him, he began a war against the Aboleth for dominance of the realm. Some deities opposed this war, and Lolth and her closest ally Torog outright refused to fight, something Corellon never forgave them for. Most Aboleth were destroyed, cast into the Abyss and forever lost. A small few escaped to the Material Plane, with the help of Lolth and Torog, where they still live in hiding deep in the Underdark. For quite a while after this all the deities, celestials, devils, demons, and elementals lived together on the Astral Plane. But Corellon continued to harbor resentment toward Lolth and Torog, particularly Lolth, and grew to hate the creatures they most enjoyed interacting with, the demons and elementals. He began to plot against them. He spoke to Moradin and Bahamut, claiming Lolth and Torog could not be trusted, easily convincing them to join his side. Later, he began speaking openly against the demons and elementals, and eventually all-out war between those who would cast them out and those who would keep them there began, with Lolth and Torog leading the side who would keep them. The second deity of Light, fighting against Corellon, was lost to the abyss in one terrible battle, even her name disappearing from the universe. Those who fought with the demons eventually lost, but Melora pleaded for them to not be tossed in the abyss, but banished to a new plane, instead. Corellon reluctantly agreed to this, under pressure from a few other deities. Thus the Elemental Chaos Plane was created, right above and partially touching the Abyss. Astral Plane Deities Bahamut Reputation Called the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut is the god of justice, protection, nobility, and honor. Lawful good Paladins often revere him, and metallic dragons worship him as the first of their kind. Monarchs are crowned in his name. He commands his followers thus: * Uphold the highest ideals of honor and justice * Be constantly vigilant against evil and oppose it on all fronts. * Protect the weak and defend order. History Bahamut has been a loyal follower of Corellon ever since the blonde-haired god saved him from death in a dimension that no longer exists. He has been at Corellon's side through both deity wars. He created the first dragons of the Material Plane, but he has never claimed to control them - he lets them do as they wish, hoping they will be dedicated to the side of good, but knowing many will not. Appearance Bahamut is a giant platinum dragon, with majestic wings, glittering scales, and glowing golden eyes. He is larger than any dragon on the Material Plane could ever hope to be. Personality Though Bahamut does not always agree with Corellon's actions, he is too loyal to actually question them. He tries to be a just and fair person, and to defend the weak. He is supremely lawful, finding chaos distasteful, though not inherently evil. Besides bringing dragons into the world, he takes a hands-off approach to the Material Realm. Corellon Reputation The god of beauty, goodness and light, Corellon is the patron of light magic and the arts. He seeded the world with all but evil magic and gave rise to the beautiful things in the Material Plane, such as ancient, green forests and beautiful flowers of varying colors. Those who devote themselves to light magic and many artists and musicians worship him, shrines in his name found in most cities and towns. He despises Lolth and her priestesses for leading the Drow astray. He urges his followers thus: * Bring light to the world to banish the darkness. * Cultivate beauty in all that you do, whether you’re casting a spell, composing a saga, strumming a lute, or practicing the arts of war. * Seek out lost magic items, forgotten rituals, and ancient works of art. Corellon might have inspired them in the world’s first days. * Thwart and destroy the followers of Lolth at every opportunity. History Corellon led the deities out of their doomed dimension and into this one. He started the war that saw almost all the Aboleths destroyed (he believes them to all be gone). He started the war that saw Lolth, some other Deities, and many lesser extraplanar beings cast into the Elemental Chaos Plane. He did not create magic in the world, plant the forests, or create flowers. All these things were done by the Abolteth before the deities' arrival. Appearance Corellon most often takes the form of a long-haired blonde human, around 60 years old, with a long, square face. He usually has a short beard and mustache combo, and piercing blue eyes. His body is muscular, but not overly so, and most often wrapped in bright white robes. Personality Corellon is a proud and angry god that doesn't take dissent well. Since he led them into this dimension, he has considered himself the de-facto leader of the deities, whether the rest like it or not. He hates the dark and 'ugly' things, and has influenced the Material Plane enough to make most people in it feel the same. He has also molded the Celestial races into his obedient servants - no Celestial would ever dare question his commands, almost every one of them willing to blindly follow him to the end. Erathis Reputation Erathis is the god of civilization. She is the muse of great invention, founder of cities, and author of laws. Rulers, judges, pioneers, and devoted citizens revere her, and her temples hold prominent places in most human-dominated cities. Her laws are many, but their purpose is straightforward: * Work with others to achieve your goals. Community and order are always stronger than the disjointed efforts of lone individuals. * Tame the wilderness to make it fit for habitation, and defend the light of civilization against the encroaching darkness. * Seek out new ideas, new inventions, new lands to inhabit, new wilderness to conquer. Build machines, build cities, build empires. History Erathis had no strong opinion when it came to the first godly war, and thus she fought on Corellon's side at his behest. In the second war, she was not overly keen on fighting most of the now-EC gods, though she never liked Malar, and admittedly enjoyed the fact that he was banished. She created humanity, wanting a race that embodied her ideals of community, civilization building, and ambition. Since the second god war, she has taken great delight in watching the civilizations of humanity rise and spread, and in seeing the inventions they create. When she has an idea for an invention that she finds particularly interesting, she sometimes grants divine inspiration upon a human to encourage them to create said invention. Appearance Erathis looks like a human, in a general sense. She is androgynous in appearance, and when gazed at by mortal eyes she appears simultaneously like virtually every human in existence, regardless of gender. Her form is covered in loose cloth that seems to float somewhat about her, and she bears no genitalia or breasts. Personality Erathis has little interest in other gods, and she and Wee Jas would probably get along well if either of them ever bothered to talk to the other. She finds her creation, humans, to be the most fascinating aspect of the Material Plane, and she has little respect for nature, which has resulted in her and Melora butting heads once or twice. Kord Reputation Kord is the storm god and the lord of battle. He revels in strength, battlefield prowess, and thunder. Fighters and athletes revere him. He is a mercurial god, unbridled and wild, who summons storms over land and sea; those who hope for better weather appease him with prayers and spirited toasts. He gives few commands: * Be strong, but do not use your strength for wanton destruction. * Be brave and scorn cowardice in any form. * Prove your might in battle to win glory and renown. History Kord reluctantly fought in the first diety war, considering attacking the relatively less strong aboleth to not be a very honorable act. The second deity war, however, fought against opponents on equal footing, was much more Kord's style, even if he had no personal stake in the fighting. Since the second war, he has mostly taken to observing the Material Plane, encouraging great battles and feats of strength and honor wherever he sees them. He created minotaurs long ago, physical embodiments of his highest ideals, though unfortunately because he made them so willing to fight one another, their race has never grown as prolific as most others. Appearance Kord looks most like his creations the minotaurs, but a particularly huge and muscled one. The horns on either side of his head are thick and long, as is his lower 'horn', which he shows off proudly, never wearing clothes to cover it up. Personality Kord is a proud, arrogant sort, but not unkind. He dislikes rudeness and people that don't respect others. He despises those that attack the weak, but he praises those who fight on equal footing, regardless of the casualties. Melora Reputation Melora is the god of the wilderness and the sea. She is both the wild beast and the peaceful forest, the raging whirlpool and the quiet desert. Rangers and hunters often revere her, and some sailors make offerings to her before beginning their voyages. Her strictures are these: * Protect the wild places of the world from destruction and overuse. * Do not hunt for sport, but only to satiate some need, such as hunger, or to defend oneself or others. * Do not fear or condemn the savagery of nature. Live in harmony with the wild. History Melora was reluctant to fight against the Aboleths, doing so mostly in self-defense once the war had started. Likewise, she was reluctant to fight against the other gods, led by Lolth, in the second deity war, again doing so almost entirely in self-defense. Melora was horrified when the god she can no longer remember the name of was lost to the abyss, and when Lolth was defeated and Corellon was pushing to do the same thing to all of the defeated gods and creatures, Melora knew she had to speak against it. Getting other gods such as Kord, Erathis, and even Sehanine on her side first, she insisted that Corellon banish the defeated to a newly created plane, instead of destroying them all forever. He reluctantly agreed. Since then Corellon has kept a close eye on Melora, or had others do so, but she pays no mind, concerning herself with her own affairs, such as the protection of forests and other wild areas of the Material Plane, and not with another god's petty grudge. Appearance Melora appears as a vaguely humanoid creature with earth-brown skin, green vines growing around and in/through her, ram-like horns, a lizard-like mouth, bug-like wings, a shark-like tail, and eagle-like talons on her feet. She wears no clothing, but also has no breasts or genitalia of any kind, either. Personality Melora hates no living thing, finding beauty in all that lives on the Material Plane. She also finds beauty in storms and natural disasters, and though she laments the deaths that happen because of them, she acknowledges such things as inevitable. She does not actually like Corellon, still bitter as she is over his destruction of the fascinating creatures the Aboleths, and his banishment of such wonderful beings as demons and devils. She finds celestials boring, especially since Corellon's reshaping of them, and that is a large part of the reason she focuses most of her attention on the Material Plane. Moradin Reputation Moradin is the god of creation and patron of artisans, especially miners and smiths. He carved the mountains from primordial earth and is the guardian and protector of the hearth and the family. He created the dwarves, millennia ago. Many dwarves, from all walks of life, follow him. He does not merely ask, but instead demands these behaviors from his followers: * Meet adversity with stoicism and tenacity. * Demonstrate loyalty to your family, your clan, your leaders, and your people. * Strive to make a mark on the world, a lasting legacy. To make something that lasts is the highest good, whether you are a smith working at a forge or a ruler building a dynasty. * Destroy all evil you find, most especially orcs. Do not allow an orc to live if you have the means to end them. * Those who have done wrong against Moradin, such as by not killing an orc, must seek atonement through death - this death must involve attempting to accomplish a heroic good deed. Continued wrongdoing necessitates greater heroic deed attempts. 'Attempting to accomplish' means that one must die in the attempt. If one accomplishes a heroic good deed and does not die, then one must continue accomplishing good deeds until they do die. Once you've wronged Moradin, there is nothing you can do to regain his favor besides heroic death. History Moradin has always been Corellon's closest ally, the two of them getting along better with each other than with any other god. He has thought both deity wars were justified, following Corellon not just loyally but eagerly, truly believing in his causes. He did not 'carve the mountains from primordial earth', as this was done by the Aboleths before his arrival. He did, however, create the Dwarves, and instilled in them a natural hatred of orcs. Appearance Dwarves are modeled after Moradin himself. Thus, to picture Moradin is to picture the perfect, emblematic dwarf. His body is dwarf-shaped and covered in the toughest, most finely crafted armor that could possibly be conceived, with glittering gems set in each piece in various places. His beard is long and exquisite, immaculate, braided, and shining silver in color. The hair atop his head, which is almost long enough to touch his heels, is also shining silver. He wields a giant hammer and shield, both as finely crafted as his armor. Personality If Corellon is proud and angry, Moradin is self-aggrandizing and enraged. Though he believes himself to be the grandest being to have ever existed, he acknowledges that Corellon tends to be more adept at persuading people to follow him, and thus 'allows' his ally to lead the deities. He could not help but create a race on the material plane made in his image, needing the people of that plane to recognize his majesty, even if in a less perfect form. Since he hates Gruumsh, and by association Gruumsh's creation, the orcs, he encourages dwarves to slay orcs whenever possible. It irritates him to no end that not all denizens of the Material Plane give him worship, but he justifies it by telling himself that many of them are just too stupid to recognize his splendor. Sehanine Reputation God of the moon and autumn, Sehanine is the patron of trickery and illusions. She is a favourite deity among Gnomes and Halflings, who she created. She is also the god of love, who sends shadows to cloak lovers’ trysts. Scouts and Rogues ask for her blessing on their work. Her teachings are simple: * Follow your goals and seek your own destiny. * Keep to the shadows, avoiding the blazing light of zealous good, and the utter darkness of evil. * Seek new horizons and new experiences, and let nothing tie you down. History Though she had no strong opinion on the first deity war, she detested the second. She quite liked several of the gods she ended up fighting against, and still laments the loss of the other Light god, lost to the Abyss. When Melora pushed back against Corellon's desire to cast the rest of the losing deities into the Abyss, Sehanine was quick to support her. Sehanine created the gnomes and halflings, in that order. The gnomes, originally denizens of the Feywild, are still her favorite children, though she still loves her later creation, the Halflings, even though their nature is a bit further away from her own. Appearance Sehanine appears as a particularly wild-looking gnome, her hair all at once every color imaginable, and her clothes constantly changing and shifting forms. Personality A staunch individualist, Sehanine is also a fan of the more fun things in life, and imbued such sensibilities into her children, particularly the gnomes. She is not a fan of extremes, especially when it comes to morality, preferring the middle road in most cases. Wee Jas Reputation Wee Jas thinks of herself as a steward of the dead. Though she is a relatively benign death god, she has no problem with undead being created. Wee Jas is unconcerned with questions of morality; if it can be done within the confines of the law, she will allow it. She instructs her followers as follows: * Magic is the key to all things. * Respect must be shown to ones' predecessors and the departed. * Necromancy is allowed, but only with consent from the soul of the departed, and with remains procured in a lawful manner. * Wee Jas does not look kindly on those who stop serving her once they have initially pledged to do so. History Wee Jas fought in both deity wars on the side of Corellon, for no other reason than she was asked to. She has since concerned herself only with her own affairs. Appearance Wee Jas most often appears tall and thin, gaunt, even. Skeletal. The more focused she is on necromantic magic at any given time, the more skeletal she appears. Her appearance varies between human and elven. She rarely pays much attention to how she looks. Personality Wee Jas has never concerned herself much with what the other gods and goddesses do. She fought on Corellon's side in both deity wars, but only because she was told to - if you asked her what the wars were about she wouldn't have an answer. She rarely speaks to the other beings on the material plane, instead focusing on magic done on the material plane, particularly magic involving death in some way, necromantic or otherwise. Elemental Chaos Plane Deities Gruumsh Reputation Gruumsh is the chaotic evil god of destruction, lord of marauding hordes. Gruumsh exhorts his followers to slaughter and pillage. Orcs are his fervent followers, and they bear a particular hatred for Dwarves because Moradin put out one of Gruumsh’s eyes. The One-Eyed God gives simple orders to his followers: * Conquer and destroy. * Let your strength crush the weak. * Do as you will, and let no one stop you. True Teachings Gruumsh is the chaotic god of destruction, and creator of orcs. Disgusted by the bigotry shown his and other more beastly creations, Gruumsh encourages his followers to strike back at the world that would hold them down, fighting for equality to their dying breath. He dislikes dwarves, the creation of his most hated enemy Moradin, who long ago put out one of Gruumsh's eyes. The One-Eyed God gives these orders to his followers: * Conquer and destroy those who would deny you the respect all living beings deserve. * Be strong against those who would see you brought down. * Be free, do what makes you happy, paying no heed to what others may consider 'taboo.' History Gruumsh fought in the first deity war eagerly, believing all the things Corellon said about the aboleths. But by the time of the second deity war, Gruumsh had taken a liking to many of the creatures Corellon spoke out against, and had taken note of how much Corellon and Moradin both seemed to despise the orcs he created. He fought eagerly once more, this time on Lolth's side, and over the course of the battle he grew to hate Moradin most of all, especially when the dwarven god removed Gruumsh's eye in one particularly violent battle. Gruumsh created the orcs, who once embodied all of his highest ideals. But his creations forsook him several centuries ago, feeling like his teachings had done nothing but ensure the hatred of their oppressors. Gruumsh was deeply wounded by this, but still hopes his creations will one day return to him. In the meantime, he has taken a particular liking to hobgoblins, who embody most of his ideals that the orcs now are against. Appearance Just the biggest, burliest, toughest looking orc one could possibly imagine, covered from shoulder to toe in near indestructible armor rivaling Moradin's in quality. His is missing his right eye, but does nothing to cover it up, letting the hollow hole be seen by any who gaze upon him. Personality Gruumsh is a vengeful god, but he cares deeply about his creations, the orcs, and despite them turning their backs on him, he still wants to see them find a better lot in life. He is moody and doesn't talk to the other gods of the EC unless spoken to first. He would love to return to the astral realm, but only if he can kill Moradin in the process. Lolth Reputation Lolth is the chaotic evil god of shadow, lies, and spiders. Scheming and treachery are her commands, and her priests are a constant force of disruption in the otherwise stable society of the evil Drow. Though she is properly a god and not a demon, she is called Demon Queen of Spiders. She demands that her followers: * Do whatever it takes to gain and hold power. * Rely on stealth and slander in preference to outright confrontation. * Seek the death of Elves at every opportunity. True Teachings Lolth is the chaotic god of shadow, lies, and spiders. She teaches that lies are sometimes useful in the short term to bring about greater truth, but also that many things greater society believes to be truth are in fact lies. She asks her followers to: * Expose deception and bigotry that harms others, even if you must use your own lies to do so. * Rely on stealth and slander rather than outright confrontation when possible. * Be wary of elves that are not Drow, for most of them side with Corellon. History Lolth has never liked Corellon, but still followed him into this dimension, to escape the destruction of her former home. She did not follow, him, however, when he went to war with the Aboleths. In fact, she actively spoke out against him and his war, stopping just short of actually fighting against him. She helped save a small few of the former world-creators, and regrets that she was not able to save more. When Corellon later began advocating against demons and elementals, making it clear he wished to destroy them just like the Aboleths, Lolth knew she had to fight this time. She fought hard, losing a dear friend that she can no longer recall the name of along the way, but ultimately she was defeated. Thanks to Melora's intervention, however, she was spared destruction, and she and those who fought alongside her were banished to a newly-created realm along with those they'd fought for. To this day she plots to retake the Astral Plane, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back against Corellon and end him once and for all. Long ago, soon after her banishment, Lolth spoke to the ancient elves and tried to convince them of the truth of Corellon's tyranny. Most elves refused to believe her, but some did, and they were forced to leave society and live underground, becoming the first Drow. Lolth has loved and supported the Drow ever since, gifting them giant spiders and doing what she can to keep them from harm. To Drow that win her favor, she offers the form of a Drider, half-elf-half-spider beings made in her image. Appearance Lolth most often appears as a dark-skinned elf attached at the hip to a giant spider body. She has long, messy black hair and great horns growing out of her head. She often wears dark, sharp armor over her upper half. The sclera of her eyes are black, her pupils glowing red. Tattoos with ancient symbols adorn her face and body, including the spider part. The tattoos on the spider portion glow red. Personality Lolth has a big heart, and cares particularly for the weak and downtrodden. She can't stand bigotry and discrimination, and fights tirelessly against it, though usually through subterfuge and other less direct means. She delights in things that are typically considered gross and ugly, such as spiders. She has a great wit about her, and is friendly to most, as long as they aren't pledged to Corellon's service. Malar Reputation Malar, The Beastlord, is the lesser deity of the hunt, evil lycanthropes, bestial savagery and bloodlust. His dogma concerns savage hunts, the spreading of the curse of lycanthropy, and general contempt for civilization. True Teachings Malar is the deity of hunting, lycanthropes, and nature. He is generally not a fan of society, and encourages proliferation of all natural life, as well as the practice of hunts. History Malar enjoyed the first deity war, which he viewed as one great big hunt, but he did not find it sporting to turn on long-time allies during the second deity war, and thus he defended the unfairly-hunted demons and devils. Since his banishment to the Elemental Chaos realm, Malar has created several races on the Material Plane, such as gnolls, minotaurs, and even lycanthropes, in all their forms. He is particularly fond of these latter creatures, considering them a beautiful wedding between the 'civilized' and the more 'bestial'. Appearance His appearance shifts, at various times appearing as one of his creations, and occasionally as a gigantic red-faced and fanged monkey. He never bothers with clothing. Personality Malar is a chaotic being, shifting back and forth in moods at the drop of a hat, but generally happy when observing his creations. Raven Queen Reputation/True Teachings Though the Raven Queen is no longer the favored god of death, her reputation nowadays is still in line with her actual teachings. Of all the supposedly 'evil' gods, the Raven Queen is the only remotely acceptable one to worship, in some communities. The name of this god of death is long forgotten, but she is called the Raven Queen. She is the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. She marks the end of each mortal life and mourners call upon her during funeral rites, in the hope that she will guard the departed from the curse of undeath. She expects her followers to abide by these commandments: * Hold no pity for those who suffer and die, for death is the natural end of life. * Bring down the proud who try to cast off the chains of fate. As the instrument of the Raven Queen, you must punish hubris where you find it. History The Raven Queen was always the mediator between her fellow deities in the time before the second deity war. She saw both sides when it came to the first deity war, and even when it came to the second, though she ultimately sided with the rest of the gods that ended up banished to the EC realm. She holds no love for Corellon, who she believes, correctly, cares little for the concept of fate. Appearance The Raven Queen is a dark-armored woman of some humanoid race. Her face is obscured by a black mask, save for her mouth and chin. Her armor and mask are adorned by dark feathers. Personality The Raven Queen is a supremely logical being, with virtually no empathy or emotion to be found within her. She cares only for what fate wills. She comes across as quite cold, but not necessarily mean. Tiamat Reputation Tiamat is the evil god of wealth, greed, and envy. She is the patron of chromatic Dragons and those whose lust for wealth overrides any other goal or concern. She commands her followers to: * Hoard wealth, acquiring much and spending little. Wealth is its own reward. * Forgive no slight and leave no wrong unpunished. * Take what you desire from others. Those who lack the strength to defend their possessions are not worthy to own them. True Teachings Tiamat is the god of chaotic, neutral, and evil dragons - chromatic Dragons in particular. She loves wealth and opulence, and instilled the act of hoarding in the chromatic Dragons. She commands her followers to: * Hoard wealth, whether it is literal gold and jewels or even simply rocks that you like the shape of. * Forgive no slight, and leave no wrong unpunished. * Take what you want from others, whether through force or subterfuge. Those who can't keep ahold of their possessions don't deserve to keep them. History Tiamat and Bahamut are siblings, but have never gotten along. She cared little for the first godly war, and joined what would prove to be the losing side of the second one mostly so she could steal the Chromatic dragons from Bahamut. She hates Corellon for casting her out, however, and to this day plots against him. She is super crafty in her plans to kill him, though. She has been acting as though she is secretly working for him for a while now, most recently by tossing the souls of King Au Dumein and the rest of his family into the Abyss. She knows the other EC realm gods will eventually rebel, and when they do, she wants Corellon to trust her so that she can get close to him and stab him in the back, so to speak. Appearance Tiamat appears to be a giant multi-headed dragon of varying colors. The heads, though visually distinct in both color and shape, speak with one voice. Personality Tiamat has always been very self-obsessed. She holds no loyalties to anyone, and is generally not well liked by the other EC gods. Torog Reputation Torog is the evil god of The Underdark, patron of jailers and torturers. Common superstition holds that if his name is spoken, the King the Crawls burrows up from below and drags the hapless speaker underground to an eternity of imprisonment and torture. Jailers and torturers pray to him in deep caves and cellars, and creatures of The Underdark revere him as well. He teaches his worshipers to: * Seek out and revere the deep places beneath the earth. * Delight in the giving of pain, and consider pain you receive as homage to Torog. * Bind tightly what is in your charge, and restrain those who wander free. True Teachings Vecna Reputation Vecna is the evil god of undead, necromancy, and secrets. He rules that which is not meant to be known and that which people wish to keep secret. Evil spellcasters and conspirators pay him homage. He commands them to: * Never reveal all that you know. * Find the seed of darkness in your heart and nourish it; find it in others and exploit it to your advantage. * Oppose the followers of all other deities so that Vecna alone can rule the world. True Teachings Category:Worldbuilding